During a person's recovery after his or her open heart surgery, and/or his or her abdominal surgery, coughing occurs to expectorate phlegm in clearing his or her lungs. To minimize the pain, he or she holds a conventional pillow against his or her chest to protect the sternum and other body portions, where surgical entries have been undertaken and now are healing, i.e. the wound. Or, preferably, he or she holds a medical pillow, as provided by following the teachings of Herbert Lagin set forth in his U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,601 of 1987. Or, preferably, he or she holds a protective pad for post-operative recovery as provided by following the teachings of Janet L. Yon in her U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,613 of 1989.
When a patient uses these pillows or pads, he or she reduces pain and increases his or her comfort when coughing and moving. Although the benefits realized are noteworthy, greater comfort with less pain is still wanted.